691018 - Letter to Gargamuni written from Tittenhurst, UK

Letters by Date, 1969

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER: TITTENHURST PARK
TITTENHURST HOUSE
Ascot, Berkshire, ENGLAND
DATE......October..18,............1969

My Dear Gargamuni,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated October 10, 1969. I have already informed Tamal Krishna in my letter dated 13th October that I have sent Brahmananda a check for $4,000, as he wanted $5,000 and you have sent $1,000 and Subal has sent him also $500. So the extra money that you have got now you can deposit to my savings account. The book fund collection may be deposited in my savings account, and a monthly statement may be submitted how much is deposited in that account. When need be, I shall personally issue a check. That will keep the account clear. I am so much pleased to learn that you are collecting $200 per week from the book selling table. Thank you very much. I am also pleased to learn that the Spiritual Sky is making appreciable profit for expanding Krishna Consciousness and opening branches. I have given instruction to Tamal how to keep the branches going on simply on the strength of chanting the Mantra and following the rules and regulations. We shall always pray to Krishna that we are weak and Maya is very strong. So seek for His protection in every step so Maya may not inflict upon us her trident injuries. Perhaps you have seen the picture of Durga carrying the trident in her hand, which is a symbol of the 3-fold miseries of material existence. Maya's most attractive feature is women and money. We Krishna Conscious men have to deal with women and money in course of preaching work, and the only prophylactic measure to save us is not to accept them for our sense gratification. Then we shall remain strong enough. Materialistic people take everything for sense gratification and Krishna Conscious people take everything for Krishna's satisfaction. There is no fault in the thing as it is; namely women and money, but it becomes faulty by improper use. The improper use is to accept them for sense gratification. As it is stated in Bhagavad Gita, we can remain very strong from this by taking a firm shelter under the Lotus Feet of Krishna, by chanting His Holy Name incessantly, and praying always for being engaged in His service. In this way He will protect us from our weakness.

I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami